• 12 large black mussels
• 24 clams (vongole)
• 6 freshly shucked oysters
• 140 g (5 oz/1 cup) chopped Chinese celery
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer leaves removed, very finely sliced
• 3 red shallots, finely sliced
• 1 small handful of combined mint and coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 3 red shallots, finely sliced and deep-fried until golden

Dressing

• ½ long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• a pinch of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Steam the mussels and clams separately in about 5 mm (¼ inch) water until they just open. Strain the liquid and leave to cool. Discard any mussels that remain stubbornly closed. Remove the mussels and clams from their shells, discarding the shells.

Put the oysters, their juices, and the lime juice in a bowl, mix together and leave for 2 minutes to ‘cook’ the oysters, then strain.

To make the dressing, mix together the chilli, sea salt, caster sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the cooled steaming liquid from the mussels and clams.

Gently toss together the mussels, clams, oysters, Chinese celery, lemongrass, shallots, mint, coriander and the dressing. Serve immediately, sprinkled with deep-fried shallots.